Ore-separator.



No. 725,609. PATBNTED APR. 14, 190s.

J.- W. WOLPE.

ORE sPARAToR.

APPLICATION FILBD MAB.. 27, 1902.

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No. 725,609. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903;

'n zr. W. WOLBE.

ORE SEPARATUR. APPLIUATION FILED MAB, 2v. 1902. A

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srncFIcArIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,609, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed March 27, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,"JOHN W. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, inthe county of Fremont and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Ore-Separators; and I do. hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilledin the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, refer-v ence being had to the accompanying draW.- ings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a machine for separating precious. metals, such as gold, and is particularly useful in the separation of finelydivided or Hour free gold from the sand and other earth in which it is found/in a natural state. This is accom plished, by saturating or mixing the ore with oil and then conveying the same into a tank of brine 'thick-A ened by the addition of clay or other earth and having a layer of oil ioating on the top thereof. When this is done, the fiour-gold will separate .from the ore and float on top of the brine in the tank and maybe skimmed or gathered therefrom in a nearly-pure state.

The machine hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is

ydesigned for use inthe performance of the process and also contains improved and novel features as a separator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates the side and end walls of the tank, the floor of which is formed at one end into a hopper 8 and at the other end as an incline 9,.

leading `to the top of one end wall.

In preparing the liquid above'referred to I' first fill the tank with water and then add enough earth or clay to make it decidedly muddy. To this I add a strong solution of common salt until a muddy "brine is formed. A partition 7 extending below the surface of the Water and across the tank, divides the, latter into substantially two compartments, above the hopper yand the incline, respecthereover. the pan onto an endless conveyor-belt 16, by

serial No. 100.168. (N6 man.)

tively. Into the compartment above the hopper I then pour a quantity of kerosene or other oil sufficient toform a comparatively thin layer on topA of-the brine. Y

The gold-bearing sand is`placed in a feedvbox'12, whichA is also filled'with oil, which thoroughly saturates the ore. Thence it is conveyed to the machine by an endless apronl 12, which passes 'up over the edge of the tankonrolle'rs 13, and thencefdown into the tank and around a roller 14v below the surface of oats thereon under the oiland is gathered therefrom by an endless canvas apron '15, traveling around rollers 15a, the lower end of the apron being close to the lower end of the feedapron, the motion imparted'causing the gold to travel from the latter to theformer. It adheres tothe apron 15 and isvcarried up and out ofthe liquid to'a collecting-box 15", into which it is swept from the vapron b v a revolving brush 15. It may there be amalgamated or otherwise gathered.

the liquid. When the oil-impregnated ore strikes -the brine, thevour-gold separates and The sand and heavier particles o f gold sink to an inclined jigger-frame orpan, (indicated at 10.) This is submerged in the liquid and has near its lower end a slot 10a, covered by a sieve 10b and adjustable in'width by a metal strip or cover 10c and set-screws 10d. The frame or pan isvibrated longitudinally by 'crank-,arms and connecting-rods from rockshafts 11, as hereinafter described.

The ore is shaken downY over the pan and slotv and the Ametal and heavier particles fall through the sieve while the ore is passing The tailings drop o the end of which they are carried up. and out of the liquid and beyond the end of the tank and are dislodged from the belt and discharged outside the tank by a revolving sand-brush 17.

The'hopper 8 has false sides 8a, which form an yinner or secondary hopper to direct the particles which pass'thro'ugh the slot to a pan 18, which is hung by iiexible connections to the sides of thevhopper 8 and is covered by va crowning orconvex sievel 18a. 'The discharge end of the inner hopper 8a is close to the sieve, which has the eiect of spreading the sand upon the sieve and causing the eshopper 8.

from each end to the-middle, where a hole is formed leading by a flexible pipe 18h to a stop-v cock 18, whence the gold maybe drawn off as desired. 'The sand inthe bottom of the hopper or the contents of the tank may be drawn oi from the stop-cocks 8b.

The vertical rock-shafts l1. aresupported in bearings at each side of-thetank and are operated by crankarms l1 and rods 11b, con nectingito crank-,arms 1l on' a horizontal rock-shaft 11d, which is driven from a revolving shaft 1le by crank and pitman llf. The rollers for the conveyers and the vshafts are mounted in suitable bearings on the v tank and have the necessary drive-gear to move the conveyers in the directions indicated byV the arrows, being such as any mechanic might supply, and no specific description vthereof is thought to be necessary.

settling of the earthy matter and keeps` the water muddy.

The bottom of the pan vinclines Wham @lamine p f 1. Ina separator, the combination with a `tankadapted `to contain liquid,` of a sub- 2.' In a separator, in combination, a tank .adapted to contain liquid, a submerged jigger-pan therein having an adjustableslot covered by a separating-sieve, over which the ore passes, anda metal-collecting vibrating pan underthe slot,cover ed by a convex sepf arating-sieve. j g' 3. In a separator, in combination, a tank, a subm erge'd inclinedl .j igger `therein having anadjsta'bleA separating -`slot, a hopper below-,the same, a collecting-pan below the hopper, an inqlined'vbrating sieve covering` the pan, and a discharge-conveyor below the lower end of jthejigger, for thetailings.

' In testimony whereof I'afx my signature in presence of two Witnessesi JOHN W. -WOLFE Y Vitnesses:. i

' J. H. JOHNSTON, j T. A. RHODE.v 

